Becoming an Intentional Follower – Your Personal Discipleshift

Brandon Werner   -   August 24, 2025

Becoming an Intentional Follower

August 24, 2025  |  Pastor Brandon Werner

Together Church  |  Series: Your Personal DiscipleShift

Becoming an Intentional Follower

Sermon Manuscript  |  August 24, 2025  |  Pastor Brandon Werner

Together Church  |  Series: Your Personal DiscipleShift

INTRODUCTION

Welcome back to this series called Your Personal DiscipleShift. Let’s get back into it…

• Two weeks ago, we introduced what it means to have a personal DiscipleShift in your life (a recentering of your life… drop your nets).
• Last week, we saw that Your Personal DiscipleShift is NOTHING if it is not first a RELATIONAL SHIFT (we looked at the biblical foundation for relationship; and the cheap substitutes).

So, if you put these two together, we’ve seen Your Personal DiscipleShift is a priority shift and a relational shift in your life.

This morning, we’ll pick up on this train of thought. We’ve seen that we need a relational shift in our lives…

But what kind of relationship do you need?

Here’s the next piece…

To continue Your Personal DiscipleShift, you need to identify an intentional leader and become an intentional follower.

Are you taking notes? That’s the big one! (repeat)

This concept is really simple, but really powerful. We see this aspect of God’s design woven throughout all human development…

• Great doctors and scientists are most commonly developed in a good residency. In a residency, the students learning can connect with experts who are further along than themselves. They don’t just learn their practice from books; they are molded into greatness as they identify and follow the right examples.
• Lots of people have incredible athletic potential. But the greatest athletes are most often those who found a relationship with an incredible coach or other players they could learn from. They became great because they first became intentional followers of the right examples.

This is true in so many other areas:

• Want to be a great parent? Learn from great parents!
• Want to become a better musician or artist? Learn from great musicians and artists!
• Want to find freedom from substance abuse? Join a residency and learn from those who have found freedom!

The list goes on and on.

This isn’t by accident! It’s all part of God’s design. And God’s plan is for every disciple of Jesus to become a mature disciple of Jesus by forming the right relationships with the right examples.

There are many examples of relationships between intentional leaders and intentional followers in the Bible…

• Jesus and His disciples. Jesus was the intentional leader; they were the intentional followers. Through following, they eventually became intentional leaders (the apostles who founded the church).
• Joshua followed Moses. Moses was the intentional leader; Joshua was the intentional follower. Eventually, Joshua became the intentional leader who led Israel into the Promised Land.
• Timothy was a disciple of Paul. Paul was the intentional leader; Timothy was the intentional follower. But, in time, Timothy became an elder and was personally sent out by Paul to various places to be the intentional leader to others.

In all these biblical examples, and more, we see intentional followers being developed through relationship with intentional leaders.

Here’s another way we say it around here:

Discipleship is better caught than taught.

There’s another example of an intentional leader and intentional follower in scripture that we’ll unpack this morning. If you have your Bible, and I hope you do, open with me to 1 Kings 19.

While you open, let me set up the story for us…

BODY

It was the time of the kings in Israel. The people of Israel had been divided into two kingdoms – the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom. The southern kingdom had some good kings and some bad kings – but the northern kingdom only had bad kings; kings who worshipped idols and would not follow God.

It was a time of spiritual darkness among the people of God.

But God is faithful. In the midst of that darkness, God called a prophet by the name of Elijah to be His voice, speak His truth, and do His will in the northern kingdom of Israel.

Elijah was a faithful prophet and a spiritual giant. The Spirit of the Lord was on Elijah, and God gave Elijah the power to perform incredible miracles in His name.

Elijah carried a mantle as a prophet of God. This mantle was a garment of clothing that signaled to others that he was a prophet of the Most High.

As you read about Elijah in the scriptures, you quickly see that his life was a difficult life. He faced many adversities; he traveled by foot hundreds and hundreds of miles; he delivered difficult messages to powerful people who hated him for it; and he faced enemies who wanted to take his life.

Through it all, Elijah faithfully served God. He proved himself to be a servant of the Lord. He was an intentional leader with spiritual maturity.

At that time in history, there was a school of prophets learning to serve the Lord. Snapshots in scripture reveal this school of prophets likely had over 100 prophets in it during Elijah’s lifetime.

One day, the Spirit of God began to lead Elijah again. While Elijah was already a leader to many, God had a specific person in mind for Elijah to disciple.

God led Elijah to the home of Elisha.

What do we know about Elisha?

• There are no indicators that Elisha was already a prophet or trying to become a prophet when God sent Elijah to him.
• In fact, just the opposite! Based on Elisha’s occupation and the description of his many possessions, it appears Elisha was just a wealthy businessman when Elijah came to him.
• Elijah was famous, so Elisha would have known who he was. Elijah’s mantle and what it signified was also common knowledge to those in Israel.

With that background, let’s read the story of Elijah calling Elisha in 1 Kings 19. As we read it, keep in mind that this is the first time Elisha is mentioned in the Bible.

1 Kings 19:19-21

19 So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away. 20 Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, “First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!”

Elijah replied, “Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.”

21 So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.

What a story! Let’s break it down…

• Here’s Elisha, a businessman, plowing a field.
• He’s wealthy enough to have twelve teams of oxen!
• He’s not looking to become a prophet, but he knows about Elijah and his mantle.

Suddenly, without notice, here comes Elijah, a prophet of God. Under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, Elijah places his mantle on Elisha!

The way the story is written, it almost seems like it took Elisha a moment to realize what happened… because he had to run and catch Elijah!

Can you imagine that moment? Try to put yourself in Elisha’s shoes.

By placing his mantle on Elisha, Elijah was anointing Elisha and calling him to serve the Lord as a prophet of God.

Elijah didn’t hang around. He walked away! Either this man was going to become an intentional follower, or he wasn’t. Elijah didn’t start trying to convince Elisha why he should leave everything behind and become an intentional follower… he issued the call then continued towards the mission of God.

Within a few moments, Elisha made up his mind. He chased after Elijah and asked the prophet for just a few moments to say goodbye to his family before leaving everything behind to become Elijah’s assistant. Elijah grants him his request, but says, “Think about what I have done to you.”

“Think about what I have done to you.”

The call to be a prophet of God was a massive decision…

Did you know that, in the law of Moses, the punishment for people who said, “Thus sayeth the Lord” but were not really speaking for God was death? Capital punishment was the sentence for those who claimed to be prophets of God and were not.

Not only that, but these prophets led very difficult lives. This was going to mean giving up everything he had to become Elijah’s disciple.

So, yeah, a lot to think about.

But Elisha was resolved. He returned, said goodbye to his parents, and then did something incredible to cement his decision…

Elisha took all his oxen and slaughtered them! Then, he broke his plows apart and used the wood to make a fire. He used that fire to cook those oxen and feed the whole town! Then, he left and became Elijah’s assistant.

Do you understand why Elisha did what he did?

He left himself no room to go back to his former life. He gave it all up to become an intentional follower of Elijah.

Talk about dropping your nets!

For the next several years, Elisha and Elijah shared a close, personal relationship. In one place in scripture, Elisha is described as, “The one who washed Elijah’s hands.” This means Elisha was more than just someone who followed Elijah, Elisha was a true and faithful servant to Elijah.

During their time together, Elisha learned from Elijah’s example…

• Elisha watched Elijah perform many miracles.
• Elisha heard Elijah speak prophetic words from the Lord.
• Elisha witnessed Elijah’s spiritual life firsthand.

Elisha’s spiritual formation happened as he became an intentional follower of the right example.

Eventually, it was time for Elijah to literally pass the mantle. Elijah knew that his life was coming to an end.

At the Word of the Lord, Elijah was traveling to a place where he knew God would take him. While traveling, three times, Elijah encouraged Elisha to depart from him and stay at another place. All three times, Elisha refused.

Elisha was resolved to be an intentional follower until the very end. He was deeply devoted and committed to Elijah. His commitment reveals the depth of love and relationship Elijah and Elisha shared.

We read the beginning of Elijah and Elisha’s relationship together, now let’s read the end. Open to 2 Kings 2:6. Let’s pick up the story at the third time Elisha refused to depart from Elijah…

2 Kings 2:6-14

6 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to the Jordan River.”

But again Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.” So they went on together.

7 Fifty men from the group of prophets also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River. 8 Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground!

9 When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.”

And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.”

10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.”

11 As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress.

13 Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elisha returned to the bank of the Jordan River. 14 He struck the water with Elijah’s cloak and cried out, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” Then the river divided, and Elisha went across.

Can you see what happened in this story? Elijah passed the mantle! The intentional follower was ready to become the intentional leader.

Let’s look at this passage a little closer…

• When Elijah asked Elisha what he could do for him, Elisha requested a double portion of his spirit and the opportunity to become his successor.

Without the right understanding, this might sound prideful or arrogant. The request for a double portion was not a prideful thing; it was an inheritance thing.

In the law of Moses, the firstborn son received a double portion of the father’s inheritance. Elisha was expressing his love for Elijah and his commitment to Elijah being like that of a firstborn son.

But that’s not all Elisha said… he also wanted to become Elijah’s successor! The intentional follower was ready to become the intentional leader.

Elijah said acknowledged this was a big ask, but said that if Elisha saw him depart, God would grant it. Sure enough, Elisha watched as a chariot of fire and flaming horses picked up Elijah and took him in a whirlwind into the heavens!

• Then, Elisha picked up the mantle.

That is a powerful statement.

Elijah picked up right where Elijah left off. He took up that mantle and used it to strike the water – just like Elijah had done moments before he was taken up. When he struck the river, God parted the waters of the Jordan, and Elisha walked across. This was God giving His seal of approval – both for the relationship Elijah and Elisha had shared AND for Elisha to continue the mission.

When Elisha passed through that Jordan river, it was almost like a kind of baptism for him. His old life laid behind, and a new life laid ahead. Elisha was ready to be an intentional leader to others as he continued to serve the Lord.

Spiritual formation is better caught than taught. Elisha became an intentional leader through his willingness to be an intentional follower of Elijah.

CONCLUSION

This story is an incredible illustration for any disciple of Jesus who is ready to make a personal DiscipleShift in their life…

For a personal DiscipleShift to happen in your life, you need to become an intentional follower like Elisha.

Like Elisha, you must become an intentional follower who…

1. Makes sacrifices to identify and follow the right examples.

Elisha believed God had brough Elijah into his life; so, Elisha gave up everything to become an intentional follower of the right example.

The disciples dropped their nets. Elisha sacrificed his oxen and burned his plows. This was more than a gesture – Elisha was offering his life up as a living sacrifice to God.

The Apostle Paul puts it this way in…

Romans 12:1

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Your Personal DiscipleShift will look like Elisha’s example: it starts with a willingness to offer your life as a living sacrifice to God. Like Elisha, you must become an intentional follower of the right examples, willing to leave your old life behind to serve Jesus as King.

Like Elisha, you must become an intentional follower who…

2. Makes it easy for an intentional leader to lead you.

I’m not saying discipleship is ever “easy” for an intentional leader… leaders always count the cost and pay the price to lead! But Elisha was an intentional follower who was a blessing to his intentional leader.

At Together Church, we use F.A.T.T. as an acronym to describe the characteristics of an intentional follower who is a blessing to lead…

F – Faithful

Faithful is a willingness to show up again and again and again. Faithfulness isn’t fast, it is consistency in incremental gains. Elijah didn’t have to constantly track Elisha down. Elisha was faithful to be with Elisha and to do his part.

A – Available

It wasn’t like pulling teeth for Elijah to get Elisha to show up. Elisha adjusted his life to be with Elijah. In the same way, intentional followers make themselves available by making sacrifices to adjust their lives to be in relationship with their intentional leader.

T – Teachable

Elisha didn’t enter the relationship acting like he knew it all. Elisha was humble. He recognized that Elijah was a more mature servant of God than he was. Elisha was willing to watch Elijah, listen to Elijah, and learn lessons from Elijah. He was teachable.

T – Transparent

Elijah and Elisha literally lived together for several years. Talk about giving someone access to your life! In discipleship relationships in the church, it often isn’t possible for the intentional leader and intentional follower to literally live together. But through transparency, REAL authenticity and vulnerability, we can let someone else into our lives. We can share a real-life relationship where we know everything about each other so that the intentional leader can give the right assignments, ask the right questions, and facilitate the right conversations for spiritual growth to continue in your life.

Elisha was a F.A.T.T. intentional follower who’s character made it easier on Elijah to lead. Like Elisha, God wants you to be a F.A.T.T. intentional follower of the right examples He is bringing into your life.

Finally, for Your Personal DiscipleShift to continue, like Elisha, you must become an intentional follower who…

3. Is ready to pick up the mantle.

Both Elijah and Elisha understood where this relationship was headed. There would come a day when Elisha would step out of being an intentional follower and would become an intentional leader to others.

When Elisha picked up Elijah’s mantle and struck the water with it, the scriptures record several prophets from the school of prophets witnessing that event. This is what they said…

2 Kings 2:15

Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him opposite them, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.”

Elisha went on to lead the prophets in ministry… and the scripture records Elisha doing twice the number of miracles as Elijah!

The relationship between Elijah and Elisha was intentional. Elijah was preparing Elisha to take up the mantle and to become an intentional leader to others.

Elisha’s life illustrates for us what it looks like to be an intentional follower and how God transforms intentional followers into intentional leaders.

God wants every disciple of Jesus to experience a personal DiscipleShift in their life. For that to happen in your life, you need to identify the right examples and become an intentional follower like Elisha was with Elijah.

INVTIATION

I want to make the invitation simple this morning. Look at this list of Elisha’s example as an intentional follower. Now…

• How does God want to help you grow as an intentional follower of the right examples?

Before you can become an intentional leader who disciples others, you must first devote yourself to be a F.A.T.T. intentional follower of the right examples.

So, what does this need to look like in your life?

And we have several mature disciples of Jesus at Together Church who are already intentional leaders. Let me ask you – how does God want to use this message to remind you of the kind of people you need to be looking for as you make disciples?

Yes, we should be patient with people and give them time to grow. But does their life display the characteristics of an intentional follower who wants to be discipled? We have a phrase around here – GO WITH THE GOERS. Love and minister to everyone God puts in your path! But as you look to make disciples, consider the example of Jesus and Elijah, and look for people who are willing to be intentional followers.

Let’s pray.

Here’s the final invitation…

JOIN A GROUP!

INTRODUCTION

Welcome back to this series called Your Personal DiscipleShift. Let’s get back into it…

• Two weeks ago, we introduced what it means to have a personal DiscipleShift in your life (a recentering of your life… drop your nets).
• Last week, we saw that Your Personal DiscipleShift is NOTHING if it is not first a RELATIONAL SHIFT (we looked at the biblical foundation for relationship; and the cheap substitutes).

So, if you put these two together, we’ve seen Your Personal DiscipleShift is a priority shift and a relational shift in your life.

This morning, we’ll pick up on this train of thought. We’ve seen that we need a relational shift in our lives…

But what kind of relationship do you need?

Here’s the next piece…

To continue Your Personal DiscipleShift, you need to identify an intentional leader and become an intentional follower.

Are you taking notes? That’s the big one! (repeat)

This concept is really simple, but really powerful. We see this aspect of God’s design woven throughout all human development…

• Great doctors and scientists are most commonly developed in a good residency. In a residency, the students learning can connect with experts who are further along than themselves. They don’t just learn their practice from books; they are molded into greatness as they identify and follow the right examples.
• Lots of people have incredible athletic potential. But the greatest athletes are most often those who found a relationship with an incredible coach or other players they could learn from. They became great because they first became intentional followers of the right examples.

This is true in so many other areas:

• Want to be a great parent? Learn from great parents!
• Want to become a better musician or artist? Learn from great musicians and artists!
• Want to find freedom from substance abuse? Join a residency and learn from those who have found freedom!

The list goes on and on.

This isn’t by accident! It’s all part of God’s design. And God’s plan is for every disciple of Jesus to become a mature disciple of Jesus by forming the right relationships with the right examples.

There are many examples of relationships between intentional leaders and intentional followers in the Bible…

• Jesus and His disciples. Jesus was the intentional leader; they were the intentional followers. Through following, they eventually became intentional leaders (the apostles who founded the church).
• Joshua followed Moses. Moses was the intentional leader; Joshua was the intentional follower. Eventually, Joshua became the intentional leader who led Israel into the Promised Land.
• Timothy was a disciple of Paul. Paul was the intentional leader; Timothy was the intentional follower. But, in time, Timothy became an elder and was personally sent out by Paul to various places to be the intentional leader to others.

In all these biblical examples, and more, we see intentional followers being developed through relationship with intentional leaders.

Here’s another way we say it around here:

Discipleship is better caught than taught.

There’s another example of an intentional leader and intentional follower in scripture that we’ll unpack this morning. If you have your Bible, and I hope you do, open with me to 1 Kings 19.

While you open, let me set up the story for us…

BODY

It was the time of the kings in Israel. The people of Israel had been divided into two kingdoms – the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom. The southern kingdom had some good kings and some bad kings – but the northern kingdom only had bad kings; kings who worshipped idols and would not follow God.

It was a time of spiritual darkness among the people of God.

But God is faithful. In the midst of that darkness, God called a prophet by the name of Elijah to be His voice, speak His truth, and do His will in the northern kingdom of Israel.

Elijah was a faithful prophet and a spiritual giant. The Spirit of the Lord was on Elijah, and God gave Elijah the power to perform incredible miracles in His name.

Elijah carried a mantle as a prophet of God. This mantle was a garment of clothing that signaled to others that he was a prophet of the Most High.

As you read about Elijah in the scriptures, you quickly see that his life was a difficult life. He faced many adversities; he traveled by foot hundreds and hundreds of miles; he delivered difficult messages to powerful people who hated him for it; and he faced enemies who wanted to take his life.

Through it all, Elijah faithfully served God. He proved himself to be a servant of the Lord. He was an intentional leader with spiritual maturity.

At that time in history, there was a school of prophets learning to serve the Lord. Snapshots in scripture reveal this school of prophets likely had over 100 prophets in it during Elijah’s lifetime.

One day, the Spirit of God began to lead Elijah again. While Elijah was already a leader to many, God had a specific person in mind for Elijah to disciple.

God led Elijah to the home of Elisha.

What do we know about Elisha?

• There are no indicators that Elisha was already a prophet or trying to become a prophet when God sent Elijah to him.
• In fact, just the opposite! Based on Elisha’s occupation and the description of his many possessions, it appears Elisha was just a wealthy businessman when Elijah came to him.
• Elijah was famous, so Elisha would have known who he was. Elijah’s mantle and what it signified was also common knowledge to those in Israel.

With that background, let’s read the story of Elijah calling Elisha in 1 Kings 19. As we read it, keep in mind that this is the first time Elisha is mentioned in the Bible.

1 Kings 19:19-21

19 So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away. 20 Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, “First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!”

Elijah replied, “Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.”

21 So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.

What a story! Let’s break it down…

• Here’s Elisha, a businessman, plowing a field.
• He’s wealthy enough to have twelve teams of oxen!
• He’s not looking to become a prophet, but he knows about Elijah and his mantle.

Suddenly, without notice, here comes Elijah, a prophet of God. Under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, Elijah places his mantle on Elisha!

The way the story is written, it almost seems like it took Elisha a moment to realize what happened… because he had to run and catch Elijah!

Can you imagine that moment? Try to put yourself in Elisha’s shoes.

By placing his mantle on Elisha, Elijah was anointing Elisha and calling him to serve the Lord as a prophet of God.

Elijah didn’t hang around. He walked away! Either this man was going to become an intentional follower, or he wasn’t. Elijah didn’t start trying to convince Elisha why he should leave everything behind and become an intentional follower… he issued the call then continued towards the mission of God.

Within a few moments, Elisha made up his mind. He chased after Elijah and asked the prophet for just a few moments to say goodbye to his family before leaving everything behind to become Elijah’s assistant. Elijah grants him his request, but says, “Think about what I have done to you.”

“Think about what I have done to you.”

The call to be a prophet of God was a massive decision…

Did you know that, in the law of Moses, the punishment for people who said, “Thus sayeth the Lord” but were not really speaking for God was death? Capital punishment was the sentence for those who claimed to be prophets of God and were not.

Not only that, but these prophets led very difficult lives. This was going to mean giving up everything he had to become Elijah’s disciple.

So, yeah, a lot to think about.

But Elisha was resolved. He returned, said goodbye to his parents, and then did something incredible to cement his decision…

Elisha took all his oxen and slaughtered them! Then, he broke his plows apart and used the wood to make a fire. He used that fire to cook those oxen and feed the whole town! Then, he left and became Elijah’s assistant.

Do you understand why Elisha did what he did?

He left himself no room to go back to his former life. He gave it all up to become an intentional follower of Elijah.

Talk about dropping your nets!

For the next several years, Elisha and Elijah shared a close, personal relationship. In one place in scripture, Elisha is described as, “The one who washed Elijah’s hands.” This means Elisha was more than just someone who followed Elijah, Elisha was a true and faithful servant to Elijah.

During their time together, Elisha learned from Elijah’s example…

• Elisha watched Elijah perform many miracles.
• Elisha heard Elijah speak prophetic words from the Lord.
• Elisha witnessed Elijah’s spiritual life firsthand.

Elisha’s spiritual formation happened as he became an intentional follower of the right example.

Eventually, it was time for Elijah to literally pass the mantle. Elijah knew that his life was coming to an end.

At the Word of the Lord, Elijah was traveling to a place where he knew God would take him. While traveling, three times, Elijah encouraged Elisha to depart from him and stay at another place. All three times, Elisha refused.

Elisha was resolved to be an intentional follower until the very end. He was deeply devoted and committed to Elijah. His commitment reveals the depth of love and relationship Elijah and Elisha shared.

We read the beginning of Elijah and Elisha’s relationship together, now let’s read the end. Open to 2 Kings 2:6. Let’s pick up the story at the third time Elisha refused to depart from Elijah…

2 Kings 2:6-14

6 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to the Jordan River.”

But again Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.” So they went on together.

7 Fifty men from the group of prophets also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River. 8 Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground!

9 When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.”

And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.”

10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.”

11 As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress.

13 Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elisha returned to the bank of the Jordan River. 14 He struck the water with Elijah’s cloak and cried out, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” Then the river divided, and Elisha went across.

Can you see what happened in this story? Elijah passed the mantle! The intentional follower was ready to become the intentional leader.

Let’s look at this passage a little closer…

• When Elijah asked Elisha what he could do for him, Elisha requested a double portion of his spirit and the opportunity to become his successor.

Without the right understanding, this might sound prideful or arrogant. The request for a double portion was not a prideful thing; it was an inheritance thing.

In the law of Moses, the firstborn son received a double portion of the father’s inheritance. Elisha was expressing his love for Elijah and his commitment to Elijah being like that of a firstborn son.

But that’s not all Elisha said… he also wanted to become Elijah’s successor! The intentional follower was ready to become the intentional leader.

Elijah said acknowledged this was a big ask, but said that if Elisha saw him depart, God would grant it. Sure enough, Elisha watched as a chariot of fire and flaming horses picked up Elijah and took him in a whirlwind into the heavens!

• Then, Elisha picked up the mantle.

That is a powerful statement.

Elijah picked up right where Elijah left off. He took up that mantle and used it to strike the water – just like Elijah had done moments before he was taken up. When he struck the river, God parted the waters of the Jordan, and Elisha walked across. This was God giving His seal of approval – both for the relationship Elijah and Elisha had shared AND for Elisha to continue the mission.

When Elisha passed through that Jordan river, it was almost like a kind of baptism for him. His old life laid behind, and a new life laid ahead. Elisha was ready to be an intentional leader to others as he continued to serve the Lord.

Spiritual formation is better caught than taught. Elisha became an intentional leader through his willingness to be an intentional follower of Elijah.

CONCLUSION

This story is an incredible illustration for any disciple of Jesus who is ready to make a personal DiscipleShift in their life…

For a personal DiscipleShift to happen in your life, you need to become an intentional follower like Elisha.

Like Elisha, you must become an intentional follower who…

1. Makes sacrifices to identify and follow the right examples.

Elisha believed God had brough Elijah into his life; so, Elisha gave up everything to become an intentional follower of the right example.

The disciples dropped their nets. Elisha sacrificed his oxen and burned his plows. This was more than a gesture – Elisha was offering his life up as a living sacrifice to God.

The Apostle Paul puts it this way in…

Romans 12:1

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Your Personal DiscipleShift will look like Elisha’s example: it starts with a willingness to offer your life as a living sacrifice to God. Like Elisha, you must become an intentional follower of the right examples, willing to leave your old life behind to serve Jesus as King.

Like Elisha, you must become an intentional follower who…

2. Makes it easy for an intentional leader to lead you.

I’m not saying discipleship is ever “easy” for an intentional leader… leaders always count the cost and pay the price to lead! But Elisha was an intentional follower who was a blessing to his intentional leader.

At Together Church, we use F.A.T.T. as an acronym to describe the characteristics of an intentional follower who is a blessing to lead…

F – Faithful

Faithful is a willingness to show up again and again and again. Faithfulness isn’t fast, it is consistency in incremental gains. Elijah didn’t have to constantly track Elisha down. Elisha was faithful to be with Elisha and to do his part.

A – Available

It wasn’t like pulling teeth for Elijah to get Elisha to show up. Elisha adjusted his life to be with Elijah. In the same way, intentional followers make themselves available by making sacrifices to adjust their lives to be in relationship with their intentional leader.

T – Teachable

Elisha didn’t enter the relationship acting like he knew it all. Elisha was humble. He recognized that Elijah was a more mature servant of God than he was. Elisha was willing to watch Elijah, listen to Elijah, and learn lessons from Elijah. He was teachable.

T – Transparent

Elijah and Elisha literally lived together for several years. Talk about giving someone access to your life! In discipleship relationships in the church, it often isn’t possible for the intentional leader and intentional follower to literally live together. But through transparency, REAL authenticity and vulnerability, we can let someone else into our lives. We can share a real-life relationship where we know everything about each other so that the intentional leader can give the right assignments, ask the right questions, and facilitate the right conversations for spiritual growth to continue in your life.

Elisha was a F.A.T.T. intentional follower who’s character made it easier on Elijah to lead. Like Elisha, God wants you to be a F.A.T.T. intentional follower of the right examples He is bringing into your life.

Finally, for Your Personal DiscipleShift to continue, like Elisha, you must become an intentional follower who…

3. Is ready to pick up the mantle.

Both Elijah and Elisha understood where this relationship was headed. There would come a day when Elisha would step out of being an intentional follower and would become an intentional leader to others.

When Elisha picked up Elijah’s mantle and struck the water with it, the scriptures record several prophets from the school of prophets witnessing that event. This is what they said…

2 Kings 2:15

Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him opposite them, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.”

Elisha went on to lead the prophets in ministry… and the scripture records Elisha doing twice the number of miracles as Elijah!

The relationship between Elijah and Elisha was intentional. Elijah was preparing Elisha to take up the mantle and to become an intentional leader to others.

Elisha’s life illustrates for us what it looks like to be an intentional follower and how God transforms intentional followers into intentional leaders.

God wants every disciple of Jesus to experience a personal DiscipleShift in their life. For that to happen in your life, you need to identify the right examples and become an intentional follower like Elisha was with Elijah.

INVTIATION

I want to make the invitation simple this morning. Look at this list of Elisha’s example as an intentional follower. Now…

• How does God want to help you grow as an intentional follower of the right examples?

Before you can become an intentional leader who disciples others, you must first devote yourself to be a F.A.T.T. intentional follower of the right examples.

So, what does this need to look like in your life?

And we have several mature disciples of Jesus at Together Church who are already intentional leaders. Let me ask you – how does God want to use this message to remind you of the kind of people you need to be looking for as you make disciples?

Yes, we should be patient with people and give them time to grow. But does their life display the characteristics of an intentional follower who wants to be discipled? We have a phrase around here – GO WITH THE GOERS. Love and minister to everyone God puts in your path! But as you look to make disciples, consider the example of Jesus and Elijah, and look for people who are willing to be intentional followers.

Let’s pray.

Here’s the final invitation…

JOIN A GROUP!